Feeling discouraged

[Lauren and Kona]

Hey guys, I recently posted about something similar to this so forgive me for repeating some things.

I brought Kona home on Saturday and when I went to pick her up, I had seven puppies to choose from. Kona appeared to be one of the calmer ones - and I held her for a good little while and she seemed to be a good fit.

I researched for months before bringing Kona home and was well prepared for all that would come along with a new puppy.

Kona is just so crazy. She doesn't stop for one second, it is constant running, biting, chewing, jumping, barking, you get the idea. When I try to approach her, she bites me everywhere she can get ahold of - my toes, my legs, the sleeves of my sweatshirt, my bracelet, my hair, etc. She doesn't even stop for a nap unless I put her in her crate (and that is a challenge).

I know that around this age is when puppies form their initial bond with their owners, and Kona seems to have no interest in me. It is really breaking my heart. I know she is still very young and has a lot of maturing to do, but at this moment, I'm just discouraged. Don't get me wrong, I love her and plan on doing everything possible to train her and give her the best life possible.

I will be starting her in obedience classes as soon as she's had all of her shots. I hope that helps a bit. Outside of how rambunctious she is, I'm concerned that she just doesn't like me/want to be near me.

I'm just not sure what to do right now, to help both Kona and myself get through this rough patch.

[Christine B]

My dog is now 4 but when I first brought him home, he was nipping me, wouldn't listen to me at all, and was so much better to pretty much everyone else in the house. I was so discouraged because I was trying so hard to do everything "right" and he only listened to my mom and nipped me in the butt all the time. I thought for sure he and I would never really bond. I cried a lot. He and I took many obedience classes together and spent a lot of time working on that bond and now I couldn't ask for a better dog. This will pass! Just keep at it.

[Lauren and Kona]

Things have gotten much worse with Kona. I'm trying, I really am, but nothing is working. She has started to become more vicious, making me bleed on multiple occasions. Anytime I walk near her, she starts barking and biting me obsessively. I've become concerned she may end up biting too hard sometime soon. Also, she has begun barking extremely loud every time she's put into her crate and the neighbors are complaining. I just don't know what to do anymore. :(

[Wendy]

Lauren,

I'm so sorry that it's been so difficult. When Clyde was really little and in his nippy stage, I actually wore an oven mitt one day. He also would only nip at me, and would nip my butt if I walked ahead of him.  I'm the Alpha in the house and he wanted my attention, and knew how to push my buttons.  Lots of consistency paid off.

How much time is she spending in her crate?

[Rosemary (Ro) and Enzo]

Lauren, forgive me, if this question has already been answered....but is this your first puppy?  There is no doubt puppies can get to the best of us, even us seasoned puppy raisers.  From your tone ( or as much as one can read on a 'puter,), and before you throw the towel in and give up....maybe you can talk to a professional trainer to get some ideas and he/she can evaluate the whole situation.  I am more than positive, if you can swing it, the money would be well spent.

[Julie, Eloise & Beasley]

Lauren, I'm so sorry you are going through this!  I agree with everyone's comments, if you're able to have a trainer come out, that may be really beneficial.  Ellie seemed to be impervious to all the normal "solutions" for nipping (yelping back at her, water spray bottle, redirecting, etc).  My apologies - I can't recall if this is your first time with puppyhood, like it was for me with Ellie.  If it's really biting, rather than puppy nipping, the trainer should be able to assess that and offer solutions. 

Do you have a cover on her crate?  I put a dark sheet completely over ours, except the front door, so it was more den-like. Just throwing that out there in case it might help, if you don't already cover it.  I'm sure being worried about neighbors just adds to the crap!  Another thing I found that worked for us (if Ellie was in crazy barking mode) is that I would stand in front of her - calm but firm, hands on my hips, staring down at her in total silence until she stopped.  (I think she wondered what the heck I was doing!  But she figured out I was in charge.)  That one worked for us nearly 100% of the time, but I know all dogs are different.    

And as Stephanie said, tiring her out is good; a tired puppy is a good puppy. :)  Is Kona food-motivated?  Doing training for different commands / tricks, and treating her, is a good way to tire out her mind, too.

These are just totally random thoughts I'm sharing now in case anything might work.  :)  Sending good thoughts that things start to improve for you and Kona soon.  Keep us posted.

[Crazy Doodle Lady]

The barking and biting are her way of getting you to play with her. That's how puppies play. You have to find a way to play with her that teaches her not to bite. Bear was that way as a puppy and still is even now. If I get him excited he barks and nips at me. He barks at Dexter when he plays too. He's just very vocal. He's also the sweetest boy in the world. He was a very energetic puppy and the only thing that calmed him down was exercise. We played fetch nonstop. Kona isn't trying to be mean. She's just a bundle of energy who wants to play.

As far as the neighbors go I don't know what to tell you. Bear would never survive in an apartment, he's too vocal. Can you take her to doggy daycare? It would wear her out and make the neighbors happy. Or try a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter?

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

Are there any updates with a trainer? It seems that maybe a professional could visit you and assess the situation and help. I'm sure you never imagined the difficulties you are experiencing. I'm paying close attention to this discussion b/c we will be getting our first puppy in a couple of months. I can't begin to imagine what you're going through.

[Stephanie and Ragley]

Oh no! I just finished reading through this all the way! I'm so sorry you are having so many obstacles with Kona! Let's chat soon about meeting up and letting Ragley try to tire her out a bit to see how she does

[Gem's Jewel]

Stephanie I couldn't think of anything better! You are awesome. Please hug Lauren for me when you see her :)

[Gem's Jewel]

First...am sending you many hugs! So sorry you are going through this. Meeting up with a friend who has a dog is such a good idea for both of you! Kona does want to communicate, that's why she is barking at you. I have reached out to a friend who lives near you that was very pleased with a trainer she used. She had never had a dog or puppy before and was very unsure of things...she has two now :) and both are only a couple of years old. Hang in there...will send info as soon as she sends it.

[Ashley, Sadie and Coal]

Lauren, we are new to doodle pups, so I don't have any advice.  We have learned so much here on DK, so you are in the right place.  Sending you hugs!  

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

I'm sorry that you're going through this, having a puppy is a wild time. With dedication things will get better. I remember when Oliver first came home, it was very chaotic. Slowly, with training Oliver started understanding the rules, and I got better at managing puppy shenanigans. I think getting a trainer is a great idea, getting expert tips is critical.

1. Biting-what are you doing when Kona bites you? Trainers recommend yelping like a puppy to show them that what they did hurts. Also, after they bite you, stop and ignore them for a while to show them that hurting you means no more fun.
2. Barking-when you put her in the crate do you give her a chew toy/stuffed kong? Having a chew toy in her crate will reward her chewing quietly. Also, puppies can get pretty exhausted chewing.
3. Is Kona alone for much of the day while you're at work? If so, it might be worth looking into a dog walker so that she can have a break in the middle of the day and won't be so crazy when you get home.
4. Get Kona exercise. Do you have stairs? When it's just too awful outside we throw the ball down the stairs for Oliver to fetch. He gets a fair amount of exercise and it gets us through until the weather clears up.
5. Take some time to relax. Maybe hire a dog sitter for a night. You need breaks for your sanity too, I'm sure Kona can sense your stress.
6. Start teaching her commands, try sit and down first. Get treats and make her do them over and over "sit-down-sit." Our trainer calls them puppy push-ups. I make Oliver do them over and over when he gets too wound up and do them until he calms down.

I hope this helps! Seriously, with training and time it will get better! Sending positive thoughts!